


Baby, You've Got Stars In Your Eyes

by BlueRoboKitty



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Awkward Crush, Bad Pick-Up Lines, Explicit Language, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Second-Hand Embarrassment, implied allurance, someone help this poor boy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-18
Updated: 2016-11-18
Packaged: 2018-08-31 16:24:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8585503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueRoboKitty/pseuds/BlueRoboKitty
Summary: Keith has a crush and finds the most unlikely inspiration to finally express his feelings.Someone stop him.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote a Sheith fic! o(*≧□≦)o I'm excited because it's my first and the idea that came to mind was so cute, I couldn't pass it up at all. I've kinda been lowkey shipping Sheith (though there have been Sheith implications in my fics before) so this is pretty new territory for me. If there is fic like this already, well, this is my version I guess? Pls enjoy!
> 
> Rated because my children are military and therefore talk like military.

“Hey, baby, you from outta this world? Because you got stars shining in your eyes.”

Not only was that his corniest pickup line to date, it also didn’t make a goddamn lick of sense. Keith rolled his indigo eyes as he took a sip of his nunvill and tried not to gag over both the taste and Lance’s ridiculous nonsense he’d kept trying to pass off as flirting. God, and he had to do it right next to him, too.

The alien on Lance’s other side giggled, a cute thing with pink hair, fingers long like tree roots, and smelling of summer flowers. “You really think so?” she asked in a high-pitched, fairy-like voice, and she sounded genuinely flattered by his lame one-liner. Not really like the others trying to get close to Voltron because the sex-crazed Blue Paladin was all too easy to play like a fiddle. She tilted her head, tight rosy curls that had a texture closer to petals than hair falling over one shoulder, blinking her deep green eyes… all six of them.

“Sweetheart, even the blazing light of Sirius cannot hold a candle to your luminescent gaze.”

Wow. Luminescent. Big word, right there. Also, technically, the Sun was the brightest star in the Earth’s sky, if that’s what Lance was going for but whatever.

“Sirius?”

“The brightest star in Earth’s sky.”

“Oh! I’ve heard the Voltron Paladins were from this Earth planet!” she chirped, a smile growing wide on her face and displaying quite a few sharp looking teeth. Like _really_ sharp looking. “Please tell me more, Lance? Please?”

“Anything for you, babe.”

Wait.

Wait.

Keith nearly choked on his drink. It fucking _worked!?_

Oh, Christ, it did. Lance launched talking about Earth, specifically the ocean where he grew up, and she clung onto his every word, her eyes sparkling with fascination.

It… it had to be a fluke.

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t a fluke.

From then on, Lance was more successful than not. It was uncanny, a complete one-eighty from when they first got out to space when Lance’s flirting amounted to no more than second-hand embarrassment for all parties involved.

No, it was _bullshit_ , that’s what it was.

Keith tried to tell himself it was because they were older now. Lance was taller, more muscular than skinny, a permanent shadow on his face now that refused to go away no matter how carefully he shaved every morning.

And besides, all these aliens he kept hitting on were probably just thirsty for some action, not accounting for taste. Nunvilleries were basically space bars; all kinds of travelers came through, hungry and thirsty for everything on the menu and then some. After spending weeks or months in lonely drift throughout the galaxy between planets, any company was good company.  

It was fine. This was fine. Lance was still… Lance. Just luckier.

 

* * *

 

 IT WAS NOT FINE!!!

_IT WAS NOT FINE AT ALL!!!!_

Keith still sat completely still in his seat, jaw dropped all but literally to the floor.

Allura was giggling. And blushing, the tips of her pointed ears as pink as the cute little marks beneath her eyes.

Over something _Lance_ said.

Oh, sure, she was trying to look annoyed at him, but that smile kept tugging at her mouth all the same. She cleared her throat and continued on with the mission details at the war table they had gathered around, as if there wasn't a blush blooming all the way from her ears to her cheeks. Even her marks glowed a little. Lance, Lance, that… that… _idiot!_ He had the biggest shit-eating grin on his face, too, so fucking smug and confident.

Allura. He managed to get _Allura_ under his spell. After a couple deep space years of her resisting his ridiculous advances with only her rigid, regal upbringing giving her the discipline not to choke him out every time he opened his mouth. When did they get so close? He literally just said the stupidest thing! And she was giggling like a schoolgirl with a crush.

_"You've always got my undivided attention, baby, mind and body~"_

How?

Fucking _how!?!_

_Who even says that!?!?!_

“You okay, dude?” Hunk spoke up from across the war table, russet brown eyes filled with concern. “You look like you drank too much space milk.”

“Ah, yes, Kukok,” Coran said sagely, twirling one end of his thick, orange mustache. “That stuff tends to hit pretty hard. Fresher is always better. In fact, for ideal freshness and smoothest digestion, it is usually best to find yourself a mature Kukokon cow and suck the stuff directly out of – “

Hunk smacked a finger over his mouth. “Yes, Coran, thank you for that, we will keep that in mind next time Keith gets a hankerin’ for space milk.”

“But you’re fine?” Shiro asked the Red Paladin, and Keith struggled to keep his face neutral while looking back at him.

If they actually were aging out here in deep space, Shiro was only growing more handsome by the tick. His black eyes studied Keith closely, full lips set in a slight frown of concern. His white bangs of his otherwise black hair were getting pretty long, and Keith fought the urge to brush the strands away from his long nose.

“As fine as you are.”

The words popped out of his mouth before Keith could stop them, a habit developed from living a life of act now and consider the consequences long after the fact. The entire war table went silent on a mortifying level. 

Then Lance burst out laughing, hollering with a force that knocked him completely out of his chair. The walls echoed with his gasping cackles, and then Hunk joined him, and even Pidge started sniggering. Allura rolled her eyes at Lance, while Coran and Shiro shrugged at each other.

“I… I didn't mean it in a weird way!” Keith protested hotly, trying to salvage whatever self-respect he had left. “You know, I'm fine, and he's fine like -”

“Uh, yeah, he’s fine!” Lance shot back from the floor.

“Lance,” Shiro warned with a tired sigh.

“I meant as in ‘okay’!” Keith exclaimed desperately but it was like being trapped in quicksand. The more he struggled, the further Lance dragged him down into the pit of humiliation.

A warm hand on his head made Keith calm down just a little, and Shiro gazed down at him softly. “It's okay, I know exactly what you meant,” he said.

Keith wasn't blushing. He _wasn’t._ “You… do?”

Shiro nodded and gave him a beaming smile, the one that made the corners of his eyes crinkle so cutely. “Yup. I think we all have had enough of this strategy meeting for now. Let's take a break for something to eat.”

The others voiced their agreement including Allura, even if she sounded a bit reluctant, and especially Hunk. Lance was the only one who didn’t say anything because he was still too busy laughing his guts out on the floor.

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t like Keith’s crush on Shiro was a secret or anything.

Just… other things got in the way. A lot. They kept in contact while they were growing up, but being the foster system had Keith moving all over the state every year. Later, at the Garrison, it was all academic and military training, an intense, unforgiving program that required their undivided attention. Now, it was Voltron. And saving the universe.

Yet, Lance was now boning every other pretty alien they ran into. Keith was failing here somewhere.

He hated to admit it, though, _hated_ to admit it, but he just did not have that kind of confidence Lance had. It took some really stupid levels of self-assurance (or masochism) to look someone straight in the eye and say without missing a beat, _“You are like my Lion. Absolutely purr-fect.”_

_Who says that!?_

But…

Worse…

Shiro didn’t even react to him at the war table or anything. How could the highly decorated golden child of the Galaxy Garrison, whose flying record even Keith couldn’t beat, be this _dense!?_

No, seriously, it really wasn’t like Keith was hiding his feelings. Like at all. They were right there, plastered all over his face because he just wasn’t the type to hide things as much as he wanted to. When he felt strongly about something, oh boy, did it _show._ Every smile, every touch, every lingering graze. Shiro may not have noticed because reasons, but _everyone else_ sure as fuck not only noticed but had an opinion on it. Hunk, the group gossip, had been all like:

_“You sure you two aren’t dating? Because it looks like you two are totally dating!”_

And Pidge:

 _“You two are_ always _touching, that can’t be normal!”_

And, Christ on a crutch, even _Lance:_

_“I keep hearin’ some suspicious noises comin’ from down the hall, are you two usin’ protec– “_

_“One more goddamn word out of your mouth, and I’m sewing your mouth shut, tailor!”_

Coran and Allura managed to stay out of it, but their knowing smiles and, fuck, exaggerated winks and gestures of encouragement did not help _anything at all._

Only Shiro acted like nothing was out of the ordinary. Only Shiro seemed to not have a single clue.

 

* * *

 

If something as stupid as one of Lance’s pickup lines couldn’t shake Shiro, then maybe this meant Keith had to up the ante a little bit. Lance did other things besides spout nonsense, which was probably why his luck in his love life had turned. Maybe that’s all Keith needed to do, too.

He had been reading in the lounge when he heard the footsteps that were all too familiar, steps he had recognized as easily as his own face over the years. In one swift motion, Keith tossed his tablet to the side, fell back on the cushions and threw his jacket over himself. He even messed up his hair a little for good measure.

The footsteps in the lounge became softer as if their owner thought Keith was asleep. He waited a few ticks after the person sat down, keeping his breath slow and even, and then slowly sat up like he had just stirred out of a deep, restful nap. From the corner of his eye, he saw Shiro glance at him in surprise. The slightest of smirks tugged at the corner of his mouth as Keith arched his back in a lazy stretch that went all the way to his legs, which he stuck out a little further than probably necessary.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” Shiro said.

“Nah, it’s fine, it’s fine,” Keith assured him. “Man, I slept great.” He stretched more, slowly running one hand down the length of the other arm, fingers brushing the muscle there. He had gotten a bit bulkier, but still lithe and smooth.

Actually, he had no idea what Shiro’s type even was, but, erm, whatever. Run with it.

“That nap was _great,”_ Keith continued, voice husky as if still trying to shake away the last clutches of sleep. He had always been good at changing his voice to fit the situation. Thank you, high school drama class. “I feel so rested. I had an _awesome_  dream.”

“That’s good.”

And Shiro… left it at that. He clicked on his own tablet and began writing in it.

“Do you want to hear what I dreamed about?” Keith asked after a tick or two of nothing but Shiro's stylus gently scrolling over the holographic screen.

Shiro smiled, and Keith’s heart jumped in his throat. “Sure.”

He hoped his own smile came off as coy and maybe even a little seductive. “It was about _you.”_

“Oh? That sounds nice.”

_Nice?_

“What were we doing?” Shiro prompted, suddenly seeming very, _very_ interested in Keith’s dream. He leaned forward a bit, round muscles constricting as he rested his arms in his lap, and for a brief moment of panic, Keith completely forgot how to speak.

“Um…”

Yes, good start.

Keith brushed his hair around to expose one side of his neck, though he tried to make it look like he was just casually scratching the back of his head. “You know. _Stuff.”_

“Sure, but what _specifically?_ I’m really curious now. I had no idea you dream about me.”

 _“Of course I do,”_ Keith hissed with a bite that he so had not intended, but Shiro’s obliviousness was starting to really piss him off.

Shiro blinked. “Oh?”

“Ahhhh…” Back, back, he had to recover and bring the situation back under control! Keith could already feel his nose burning, feel his thoughts start to spiral in all kinds of wild directions. “I, um, uhhhhhh........... I don’t really remember.”

Fuck. _FUCK!_

“But it was really nice,” he finished lamely.

How the fuck, Lance?

How. The. Fuck?

 

* * *

 

Well, Keith most certainly wasn’t about to let Lance show him up over something like… like _this!_

They had just finished training with their Lions, returning from their respective color-coded hangars when he felt Shiro pat him on the head. “Good work today,” he praised.

“Not as good as watching you,” Keith immediately replied and immediately regretted it. What did that even mean, anyway?

Shiro just smiled his usual, friendly, professional smile and walked away. 

 

* * *

 

He pretended to trip in the hallway.

A classic, really. It was the biggest trope in romance comics. Not that Keith read too many of those. A-hem.

Keith’s heart raced as he went sprawling into Shiro’s arms. “Whoa, buddy, be careful! You okay?”

“Yeah, I think Pidge left some junk lying around,” Keith replied, draped over Shiro like a cheap suit and not moving. Holy fuck, wow, Shiro's left arm was almost as hard as his prosthetic right arm with the sheer amount of muscle cupped in Keith’s palm. And his chest. Jesus. He smelled so fucking good, too, that kind of dark, mature smell, seductive and intoxicating.

Keith giggled. Or something that hopefully sounded like a giggle? He was probably going crazy. Like space crazy. That was a thing that happened in space, right?

“I guess I just kinda fell for you?” he said, gazing up at Shiro with a lopsided grin.

Why did it come out as a question, though!? 

“You’re not hurt?”

_Seriously?_

Keith frowned. “No.”

Ever the gentleman ( _dammit_ ), Shiro straightened Keith on his feet and patted his head. “I suppose I’ll have to talk to Pidge about her hoard starting to spill into the rest of the Castle,” he declared. “You be careful, too. You’re looking a little flushed so take it easy for a little while, okay?”

No. Just let him die. It’s fine.

 

* * *

 

“Shiro, are you from Tennessee?”

Shiro blinked at him from his spoonful of food goo and tilted his head. “No, I’m from Japan.” He raised an eyebrow. “You know that, Keith.”

Why was he even bothering? 

 

* * *

 

Okay.

But.

Nothing was more compromising than a sparring session. Especially hand-to-hand training. And today, they would be working on some krav maga.

Shiro had been mentoring Keith in the Israeli martial art since they reunited at the Garrison after Keith graduated high school. It was something Keith suggested they should all work on, Lance, especially, who was the weakest link when it came to close range combat and needed something that would let his agility turn his opponents attacks against them. If engaged with the Galra outside of their Lions in a high stress situation where time was always of the essence, it was best to counter and neutralize the enemy as quickly as possible in just a few short hits in the most vulnerable areas.

They weren't going to do another group training session until tomorrow. Until then, Shiro and Keith practiced their demonstration. All the kicking and throwing and pretending to stab or tear out a throat worked up quite a heavy sweat for the both of them, breathing together in a hard rhythm as Shiro yanked Keith toward him, and Keith used the momentum to pin Shiro's arm behind his back.

“Not bad,” Shiro gasped.

“Thanks,” Keith replied just as breathlessly.

_“...And that's it?”_

“Huh?”

Shiro's question and the devious note in his voice threw Keith completely off guard, and damn if that wasn't a fatal mistake had this been a real fight. Next thing he knew, he was pinned to the floor with Shiro's legs around his neck. There was a way out of this, but shit, Keith suddenly couldn't think of one. Shiro's smell now mixed with musky sweat was fucking with his brain again.

“You're still a little sloppy, though,” Shiro admonished. “More so than usual, especially today. Is something wrong?”

“N-no…”

Other than his head was between Shiro's legs right now. God, what the fuck was wrong with him!? It's not like this was the first time Shiro had pinned him like this in a krav maga sparring session. Keith wasn't _twelve!_

Then Shiro released him only to pull him close, noses inches from the other. “You're so flushed,” Shiro whispered in a slightly husky voice that made Keith's stomach drop. “I get it now.”

“D-do you?” Keith breathed, thinking he sounded sexy but it was probably more of a croak.

“Uh-huh.”

_Then kiss me. Kiss me, damn you!_

(Great, now Lance's soap operas were invading his brain.)

“Yup. Clearly, you are sick. And you're too stubborn to do anything about it.”

_SERIOUSLY!?_

 

* * *

 

Keith was too much in shock to bother anymore.

This was beyond dense at this point. No, this was something else. 

What if…

What if it was because Shiro simply wasn't interested in him? That would explain so much.

Goddamn, if that wasn't a depressing thought. It deflated any fight Keith had left in him. So he simply didn't do anything when Shiro picked him up and carried him like a delicate princess to Keith's room, insisting he shouldn't strain himself by walking. Keith didn't do anything when Shiro tucked him into bed, not when a thermometer was put in his mouth or a coldpack placed on his head. Where did Shiro even get those, anyway? Had he had first-aid shit lying around in his room this whole time? 

“I'm not sick,” Keith mumbled irritably.

“Don't talk with the thermometer on your mouth, you'll mess up the reading.”

Keith spat it out.

“Keith!”

He sat up and tossed the coldpack at Shiro in fury. “I'm not sick!” he snapped.

This was the perfect opportunity to throw in the _“I'm just lovesick for you”_ pickup line, but Keith was tired of this game. He was done. Completely done. He had no idea how Lance did it, clearly some other sorcery was at work here, but Keith was beyond caring.

Shiro stared at him in shock.

“I'm not sick,” Keith repeated, balling the blanket in his fists. “Stop treating me like your kid brother all the time. It's fucking annoying.”

Shiro closed his mouth then tilted his head. “Oh?" Then his lips curled in a small smile and there was a spark in his gaze. "Then how would you like me to treat you?”

Keith grabbed him. He wasn't sure what he was doing or even remotely considering the consequences of his actions, but you know what? Fuck it. Fuck it all the way to the deepest pit of Hell and back.

Keith no longer cared.

He crashed his mouth to Shiro's in a bruising kiss, one that was sure to put a lingering mark on those plush lips even if he pushed Keith away. But Shiro didn't push Keith away. In fact, he did quite the opposite. His human fingers tangled in Keith's raven hair, kissing him back with hungry fervor. His mouth opened, and Keith chased his tongue with his own.

“Mmmm,” Shiro sighed. “About damn time.”

Keith yanked away. “What?”

Shiro blinked innocently. Too innocently. “Well, the others were telling me how much you were into me, and I was waiting to see if you would finally do something about it.”

Was Shiro shitting him right now? Keith had been running around like a horrifically flirty fool for the past week, and Shiro had the _audacity_ to act like _he_ was the one doing all the waiting - ?

“Wait. Wait, _you fucking knew!?_ This whole fucking time!?”

Shiro gave him a cheeky grin, and Keith began to shake.

“And you… you… _you didn't tell me!?!”_

Shiro burst out laughing, and the fact that it was softest, most pleasant sound in the universe to listen to made it all that much worse. “I admit, I never thought I'd live to see the day when you would act like _Lance_ to get my attention.”

“Oh my fucking GOD.” Keith buried his face in his hands. This was the worst thing he could ever imagine having to go through. And he got ejected from the stomach of a giant weblum once!

“I’ve never seen that side of you before,” Shiro continued, still laughing. “It was cute. Really, really cute. So I wanted to see how far you would go.”

Keith felt Shiro pull his hands away from his face. And Shiro had this _look_ in his eyes that made something inside Keith's chest shudder with anticipation.

“I'm sorry, Keith. I… I had feelings for you for a long time now. But it always felt inappropriate. You're so much younger than me - “

“We're not even five years apart.”

“ - I was sure you wanted to be with someone your own age.”

“You're not old.”

Shiro frowned. “Okay, well I was a Captain and you were just a cadet, therefore it was inappropriate.”

Keith snorted. “Garrison rules? Really?”

Shiro's eyes widened, falling back as Keith climbed over his lap. “Come on, Shiro. We both know the Garrison rules are bullshit and always have been.”

“And that right there is why I didn't pursue you,” Shiro replied, frown deepening. “You're nothing but trouble.”

But the rising response Keith could feel between their flushed hips told them both Shiro would have enjoyed every second of it just as he was now.

“Hey,” Keith purred, tracing a finger down Shiro's chest, “how about you and I _spar_ just a little bit more?”

Shiro arched a thick dark eyebrow.

“You want to go all the way back to the training deck? We just got here, I thought – _oh.”_

“Really, Shiro?” Keith groaned, burying his head in Shiro’s collar. “I have been humiliating myself for the past week throwing lines at you _Lance_ would fucking say, only to find out you were just playing with me… and _this is the one that goes over your head!?”_

He couldn’t be too mad, however. Shiro was blushing bright crimson, looking incredibly cute and significantly younger. He wanted to kiss the Black Paladin all over, bruise those lips, make him beg.

“I didn’t think you’d be _that_ forward,” Shiro mumbled.

Keith's face might as well have burst into actual flame. "N-no, NO! I meant _making out!_ Just... just that!" And maybe some petting. But like he was going to say that out loud. 

Shiro chuckled a bit at Keith's flustered protesting, then tenderly cupped his chin, running his thumb along the Red Paladin’s jaw. Warm chills skittered up Keith's spine at the lingering caress. 

“You must be from out of this world because of the all the stars shining in your eyes," Shiro whispered.

…

……

…………

Keith blinked slowly, taking a deep breath. “That’s cute, Shiro, but could you _not_ throw Lance’s gross pickup lines at me right now? He is literally the last person in the entire universe I want to think about in this moment.”

Shiro’s eyes widened. “Those aren't gross, those are classic! That’s one of _my_ lines. Lance got that from _me.”_

Keith all but choked on his own spit as he gawked at Shiro.

“Why do you think he’s doing so much better getting with all those aliens? I may have given him a few lessons, helped him improve his game a bit.”

“You’re saying I – “

“You’ve been trying to pick me up with my own lines. Yes. Except the sparring one. Not bad, actually.”

Keith kissed him again, rough and hot. “Don’t say another word,” he growled against Shiro’s lips. “Don’t say another goddamn word, and don’t you fucking stop kissing me until the alarm goes off or we fly into a sun or whatever.”

“Yes, sir,” Shiro breathed into his mouth.

 

* * *

 

 

It was worth it in the end, Keith supposed.

Even when Lance gave him a knowing thumbs-up at dinner.

**Author's Note:**

> Shiro is a nerd and a little shit and I love him.
> 
> Okay, so, I used the Tennessee line because that's where my hometown is and I felt obligated. What's funny is that during the entire time we were dating, not once, NOT ONCE, did my husband ever use that line and I'm like, "Babe... the universe GAVE this you! WTF!?" 
> 
> [tumblr](http://redrobokitty.tumblr.com/) | [twitter](https://twitter.com/bluerobokitty)


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